Zayn Malik Says He Put a Condom Over His Microphone While Recording His New Album

Well, he did say his music was about sex.

We’ve fully devoured and digested Zayn Malik’s interview with Beats 1 Radio and host Zane Lowe, and we’ll probably be playing it again and again to listen to that accent and swoon over that gorgeous face and blonde dye job. We now know that the album will be called Mind of Mine, which miiiiight be a slight jab at his dissatisfaction with 1D’s music, but the interview is totally full of other gems, too.

Here’s what else we learned from Beats 1 and Zayn:

1. Zayn’s late grandma got to hear some of the songs he's been working on. The songs might have been a bit provocative for her, he says, but she was very vocal about what she did and didn’t like.

2. The singer is feeling “nervous, excited, happy” about the album: “It’s like Christmas when you have that build-up, the butterflies in your stomach," he said.

3. Every song was recorded in a different place. The first song they recorded was “BeFour,” and they recorded it in a hotel studio in Las Vegas.

4. The album is finished! Zayn thinks there will be 17 to 18 tracks — but he wrote about 46 of them. WHERE ARE THE OTHER SONGS, ZAYN?!

5. He’s collaborating with the very buzzworthy Kehlani on the album.

6. He’s also working with Frank Ocean’s producer Malay, who surprised Zayn with some pretty crazy recording techniques, including covering a mic with a condom to muffle sound, which is…extremely DIY, but hey. Whatever makes the music happen.

7. Zayn’s mom convinced him to go on The X Factor. He wanted to stay in bed, but she pushed him to audition. (We knew this, but could you imagine what would have been if he just slept in?)

8. Zayn decided he was not going to do any dancing as part of 1D. Was his refusal the reason 1D followed suit and the boys don’t dance? Maybe.

9. He says he’s always wanted to “rebel against the system.”

10. Zayn’s bandmates knew he wasn’t thrilled with the music; they tried to help him sing more of the R&B style he wanted.

11. Zayn says none of the boys pressured him to stay or begged him not to leave, much to the chagrin of fanfic writers.

12. After he quit the band, Zayn flew straight home. His dad wasn’t “too impressed” with his son quitting but he’s cool with it now.

13. There’s a video forthcoming for first single “Pillow Talk.” Cue our insane excitement. Zayn was super-involved with creative direction for the video.

14. Zayn likes to write alone so he can get more personal in his lyrics.

15. He says writing the album helped him get through some tough times, though he doesn’t confirm exactly what those were. (Perhaps his breakup with Perrie Edwards? Or his breakup with the boys?)

16. Zayn doesn’t go out much lately. Right now, he’s not in a “going out” phase and prefers to go out for a drink with a friend or two.

17. Zayn brushes off a question about his relationship with Gigi Hadid and says they’re “good friends, yeah.” BUT GOOD FRIENDS DON'T HAVE EACH OTHER AS THEIR PHONE SCREEN SAVERS, ZAYN.

18. There’s a song on the record that was originally recorded as a rap! Zayn (like Liam) can rap! Kehlani was a fan.

19. If things go well after the album is released, Zayn says he’d be down to tour. Um, better start saving for a ticket or five.

20. Though he’s not down with remixing any of his old band’s songs, Zayn doesn’t regret his time with 1D; he says he had an “amazing” time during those five years. “Some of the best times ever,” he says. They were some of our best times ever too, Zayn.